Wednesday 15 July 2009

Greenhalgh's Vision is Residents' Nightmare

In reply to Hammersmith & Fulham Council Leader's comment in LBH&F News 14/07/09, many of you will have woken up this morning to read the fairytale in LBH&F News.

Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh has admitted that he has been in talks with landowners to redevelop social housing in LBH&F.

Landowners and the Conservative-led council are not interested in housing vulnerable people who cannot afford now or in the future to buy homes of their own. Therefore current plans for jobs and affordable housing are not for current residents of the borough.

To reassure residents of LBH&F that they will be rehoused in the borough, can Councillor Greenhalgh name where these homes are? 5,000 will be needed. I doubt there is that in the whole of London, let alone LBH&F.

Landowners will not wait 10 or 15 years for a return their deals. Councillor Greehlahgh mentions after 2012? There is much development going on in east London due to the Olympics. The profit from these deals is being used to regenerate the area. Hostels for homeless and residents with mental health problems have been closed and there is no mention of said profits being used to accommodate these vulnerable people.

In order to fulfil this vision of making Hammersmith and Fulham 'up and coming', social housing residents will be shunted out and those who can afford to buy will be invited in.

If you have been homeless yourslef, know someone who has and have genuine caring for people in this situation then you can say you understand their fears and emotions. I doubt Councillor Greenhalgh has been in this position so he is not qualified to speak of it.

The fears and emotions are real for families with young children whose education and lives this will disrupt and all whose homes are being broken up.

We are alreading a caring community. We embrace our diversity. Many people are involved in voluntary work and others contribute to the life of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The heart is being removed from Hammersmith and Fulham and replaced with greed.

Many thanks to all of you who are supporitng the Ashcroft Square Repair and Save Campaign and to all those who listened, displayed posters and/or signed the petition.

This campaign belongs to us all.

Once again thank you.

Desi Cranenburgh
Ashcroft Square Resident

Wednesday 8 July 2009

Our Homes Are Under Threat

We are disgusted to discover that Hammersmith and Fulham Council have been in secret talks to demolish our homes with St. Martins, a property speculator owned by the State of Kuwait.

Our Council’s official line is “there are no firm re-development plans for Ashcroft Square” as yet. But, as reported in the London Informer, we know the following to be true:

  • A Conservative councillor and two council officers flew to Cannes on the French Riviera (at our expense) to discuss knocking down our homes with St. Martins.
  • The Council is also in talks with speculators to knock down another 7 estates which will mean moving over 5000 people out of their homes.
  • The Conservative run Council is selling off all council homes on streets instead of re-letting them to people on the waiting list.
  • The Council now refuses to grant planning permission for any new affordable rented housing.

  • So… the question is: where will they put us all?... There will not be anywhere in Hammersmith and Fulham for us to live!!!